


The Water Gardens

by songsofrivers



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-09
Updated: 2013-12-09
Packaged: 2018-01-04 03:49:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1076200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songsofrivers/pseuds/songsofrivers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A post-Rebellion conversation between Doran and Oberyn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Water Gardens

_The blood oranges are ripening,_ Doran Martell thought.

Below, in the pools, his daughter Arianne was being carried around by her bastard cousin Obara. The little girl shouted in delight, her arms tight around her cousin's neck, whilst the Red Viper's eldest daughter waved her whip in the air.

A soft, yet deadly voice made itself known behind Doran.

"Lord Arryn is bribing you, it would seem."

Oberyn crossed the floor beneath the triple arches and sidled up to sit beside his elder brother on the terrace. Out of the corner of his eye, Doran saw Areo Hotah tighten his grip on his axe.

If it had been anyone else, the Norvoshi guard would have forbidden entry, but the Prince of Dorne made an exception for his brother.

"Your girl should be careful with her whip," Doran responded quietly.

Oberyn made a dismissive noise, waving his hair out of his eyes. "Obara would never hurt any of the children here."

_Obara is but ten-and-three. She should not be hurting anyone, child or no._ Doran kept silent, not wishing to criticise his brother's parenting skills. The Red Viper had always played by his own rules.

"Elia loved it here," said Oberyn.

Doran closed his eyes.

"It feels like yesterday that she and I played in these pools," his younger brother continued. "Of course, you were a man grown by then. Elia was a deft swimmer. When we were at Sunspear we would go down to the beach and play in the waves there. Of course, we never told Mother, who likely would have had us whipped. Once we snuck into the throne room whilst Mother was entertaining the Volantene triarchs - "

"Enough." Doran held up a hand.

"Doran, she was _butchered_ \- "

"She was my sister as well, Oberyn. Do you think I don't grieve for her as well?"

Oberyn recoiled in his seat, and a passing servant just about dropped a flagon of wine, but Areo Hotah merely blinked.

Doran pulled himself up, grimacing as he did so. _This war has aged me._ "Come. Let us walk."

"I saw the letter," Oberyn said as they descended the marble steps to the pools. "Two hundred thousand dragons a year to keep us quiet."

"To keep the realm at peace."

Oberyn whirled around to face his brother. "To keep us from avenging our sister!"

"I am not going to war again, Oberyn. Our uncle died on the battlefield, as did the Sword of the Morning. My boy Quentyn is but a year old. I will not drag Dorne into this again."

"Princess Rhaenys was of an age with my Sarella," Oberyn said quietly, gesturing toward the pools where his youngest daughter sat on the edge, determinedly plucking leaves from bushes to make little green piles.

"All the more reason to settle for a peace."

Oberyn bared his teeth in a move that made Doran remember why his brother was called the Red Viper. "Do you want to know what I really think, Doran?"

Doran laughed. "You think I am a coward, no?"

Oberyn said nothing, which told Doran everything. He continued. "It is not cowardly to desire peace."

"It is cowardly to deny a people their justice."

It was a while before Doran replied. He shielded his eyes from the sun, watching the girls in the water. "I never said we would not have justice."

Oberyn turned to meet his brother's gaze. They had always been able to tell what the other was thinking.

_Fire and blood._

In the water, Arianne splashed and squealed, and Obara waved her whip about.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! I always wondered how Doran and Oberyn decided to seek a secret alliance with House Targaryen. And I know, by this point Obara would have been too old for the pools, but I loved the idea of her being an older sister figure to Arianne :)


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